Gas cooking appliance with a concealable control panel

ABSTRACT

A gas cooking appliance provided with a plurality of taps ( 8 ) for the individual regulation of a flow of gas (Q) supplied to a horizontal cooking surface ( 10 ) situated at a certain height (Hw), comprising a cooking appliance structure ( 1   a ) formed by at least one vertical fitting wall ( 11 ) supporting the components of the appliance, and an exterior front plate ( 12 ) upon which is fixed a gas distributor unit ( 2 ) including the taps ( 8 ) spaced apart from each other, wherein each tap ( 8 ) is provided with a rotating operating shaft ( 9 ) for the regulation of the flow of gas (Q), the operating shafts ( 9 ) being aligned according to a horizontal plane at the same height (Hv) below said height (Hw) of the cooking surface ( 10 ); a control panel ( 3 ) bearing operating knobs ( 4 ) corresponding to the taps ( 8 ), guided on the control panel ( 3 ) and spaced apart from each other; transmission means ( 5, 7, 9 ) for transmitting rotation from each of the operating knobs ( 4 ) to the corresponding operating shaft ( 9 ), the control panel ( 3 ) being orientable by means of a change in the angular position (Pr, Po) relative to said cooking surface ( 10 ), and said control panel ( 3 ) comprising a support foot ( 14 ) connected to a horizontal pivoting shaft ( 6 ); and the transmission means ( 5, 7, 9 ) comprising a respective rotating transmission shaft ( 5 ), each of them provided with an intermediate joint ( 15 ), by means of which the horizontal pivoting shaft ( 6 ) is supported for the orientation (A, A+B) of the control panel ( 3 ) from an operating position (Po) of the operating knobs ( 4 ) exposed on the front side of the appliance to a rest position (Pr) in which the operating knobs ( 4 ) are concealed beneath a protective cover ( 13 ).

The present invention relates to a domestic cooking appliance and to the arrangement of the combustible gas control panel, combined with the kinematic transmission from the knobs to the gas taps.

PRIOR ART

There are known gas cooking appliances such as that disclosed in EP-1001225-A, which are provided with various rotary taps for the individual regulation of a flow of combustible gas, fitted onto an interior structure of the cooking appliance. The rotary operating knobs are fixed onto a vertical control panel of the cooking appliance, projecting out to the exterior. Due to the fact that the operating knobs are distanced from the taps, cardan shafts are used to transmit the rotation from the operating knob to the corresponding tap.

The gas cooking apparatus disclosed in US-2059735 has a gas distributor unit with the regulation taps and the operating knobs of the taps, all of them fitted on a front panel that is completely retractable towards the interior of the structure of the cooking appliance. The taps are distanced from the operating knobs but are not rotary, and as a result they do not need an articulated shaft in order to transmit the movement from the operating knob. Nor is the distributor unit with the taps fixed to an internal structure of the apparatus, but rather to the exterior mobile panel itself, as a result of which the latter performs c linear movement so that it can be concealed in the interior of the structure, pulling the controls with the transmission shaft and also the distributor unit with the taps by means of a kinematic mechanism comprising connecting rods and a spring.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a gas cooking appliance that has a concealed control panel in a rest position beneath a cover of the appliance, being extendable towards the exterior to an operating position and with the operating knobs thereby being exposed to the user, wherein each gas regulation tap is connected for its rotation to the corresponding operating knob by means of an articulated transmission shaft.

The gas cooking appliance of the invention comprises a gas distributor unit with regulation taps that is supported on a front wall of the appliance, and an additional cover above the front plate beneath which the control panel with the operating knobs is concealed by means of its retraction to a rest position. In the operating position the control panel is situated with the operating knobs exposed on the front side of the appliance. Due to the separation space between the operating knobs and the rotary gas taps, the latter are operated by means of a cardan shaft connected to the corresponding operating knob. The control panel is retracted and extends from one angular position to another by means of its pivoting around a horizontal pivoting shaft that is supported by an intermediate joint of each of the shafts transmitting the rotary movement. It is not necessary, therefore, to build an additional support for the pivoting of the control panel from one angular position to another, and at the same time a cavity for concealing the controls is constructed by means of a simple additional protective cover over the front panel of the appliance.

It is another object of the invention to provide a gas cooking appliance with a control panel that is disposed with a support foot for its pivoting around a horizontal shaft, and, with the control panel in either of the rest or operating positions, the different parts of the control panel close off from the exterior a cavity of concealment between said cover and the control panel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view in profile of a gas cooking appliance showing a control panel with the operating knobs in an operating position.

FIG. 2 is a partial view of the gas cooking appliance of FIG. 1 with the control panel extended in an operating position.

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the gas cooking appliance of FIG. 1 with the control panel concealed in a rest position.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a preferred embodiment of the cooking appliance 1 comprises an appliance structure 1 a formed by vertical walls supporting a cooking surface or flat area with a working height “Hw”, an external vertical wall 11 upon which the components of the cooking appliance are fitted, a front plate 12 upon which is supported the gas distributor unit 2, which is provided with a series of rotary taps 8 in a fixed position in relation to said vertical fitting wall 11, a pivotable control panel 3 provided with a series of operating knobs 4 corresponding to each tap 8, and a horizontal pivoting shaft 6 for the control panel 3.

The gas distribution unit 2 comprises a gas distribution conduit 2 a for the supply of an individual flow “Q” to the cooking surface 10 from each of the taps 8, which are spaced apart from each other on the front plate 12. Each of the gas taps 8 is provided with a horizontally disposed rotating operating shaft 9. The front plate 12 forms a cavity 12 a with the external vertical wall 11 of the structure, in which the distributor unit 2 is housed, the operating shafts 9 of the taps projecting out of the front plate 12, aligned in parallel and horizontal to a height “Hv” below the height “Hw” of the cooking surface 10.

The substantially cylindrical operating knobs 4 are fitted on the control panel 3, each one housed in an individual cylindrical cavity 3 a formed in the control panel at a depth “d” (FIG. 2). The control panel 3 is supported by means of a support foot 14 connected to the horizontal pivoting shaft 6 so that it may be turned at an angle “A” between both the operating position “Po” and the rest position “Pr” of the control panel 3. A cover 13 is incorporated into the appliance 1 over the control panel 3, the aim being to form a cavity CS concealing the control panel 3 as well as protecting the operating knobs 4 and the transmission shafts 5. The cover 13 is formed by a part with a straight horizontal profile 13 a, at a height corresponding to the height “Hw” of the cooking surface 10 and with a final curved part 13 b, which projects out of said front part 12 over the transmission shafts 5 and the control panel 3.

The shaft 7 of each operating knob 4 passes through its cylindrical cavity 3 a in the control panel 3, and is connected for rotation to the operating shaft 9 of the corresponding tap by means of a cardan transmission shaft 5. The control panel 3 is supported by means of a support foot 14 connected to the horizontal pivoting shaft 6, so that it pulls the operating knobs 4 in their pivoting of angle “A”. Each cardan shaft 5 has an intermediate support joint 15 connected to the operating shaft 9 of the corresponding tap 8, by means of which the pivoting shaft 6 is kept horizontal. The intermediate joint 15 divides the cardan shaft 5 in a first fixed segment 5 a connected to the operating shaft 9 of the corresponding tap 8, and in a second pivoting segment 5 b connected to the corresponding operating knob 4. In this way, the second segments 15 b, pulled by the control panel 3, also rotate around the pivoting shaft 6. The pivoting shaft 6, which passes through the intermediate joints 15 of all the transmission shafts 5, is supported on the segments of the cardan shaft 5 a that are connected to each tap 8.

With reference to FIG. 2, in its operating position “Po” the control panel 3 positions the operating knobs 4 outside the cover 13, at a certain height “Hk” of the structure in accordance with the user, and oriented towards him/her at a gentle angle of inclination “B”, for example 200 in relation to the horizontal plane. This same angle “B” is the inclination upwards of the rotating segment 5 b of the cardan shafts connected to the operating knobs 4. The front part 3 a of the control panel 3 is inclined at an angle complementary to the angle “B”.

The cover 13 projects out of the front side 11, 12 of the appliance over the control panel 3, and forms a cavity CS concealing the control panel 3, closed to the exterior for the protection of the controls 4 and the transmission shafts 5. The inclined part of the control panel 3 has a free wing 3 b that is curved inwards so that when the control panel 3 pivots towards its rest position “Pr”, the free wing 3 b has an inlet beneath the cover 13, the shape of which matches the final curved part 13 b of the cover 13. Said cavity of concealment CS is thus closed from above beneath the cover 13 with the control panel 3 in its interior. The control panel 3 also has a square part of wall 14, 16 that extends downwards from the level of the operating knobs 4 including the support foot 14, closing the protective cavity CS beneath the transmission shafts 5 from the exterior. The horizontal space “D1” that the control panel 3 projects out of the structure 1 a from is, for example, D1=165 mm, measured from the vertical wall 11 of the structure 1 a.

With reference to FIG. 3, from said operating position “Po” of the operating knobs 4, the control panel 3 effects a pivoting of an angle “A” for its retraction to a rest position “Pr”, in which the operating knobs 4 are concealed beneath the cover 13, while said free wing 3 b of the control panel closes the final part 3 b of the cover 13. In this rest position “Pr” the inclination of the shafts 7 of the operating knobs 4 is of an angle “A+B”, for example, of 60°, the operating knobs 4 remain beneath the cover 13 at a greater height “Hk+ΔH” than in the rest position “Pr” of FIG. 2, and in addition the horizontal space “D2” that projects out of the control panel 3 from said vertical wall 11 is reduced, for example, to D2=135 mm. Now the support foot 14 of the control panel 3 is disposed approximately horizontally, constituting a base 14 for the cavity of concealment CS at a height corresponding to the height “Hv” of the taps 8, while the part of panel 16 forming a square profile with the support foot 14 closes the cavity CS from the exterior, positioning itself vertically next to the free end 13 b of the cover. 

1. A gas cooking appliance provided with a plurality of taps (8) for the individual regulation of a flow of gas (Q) supplied to a horizontal cooking surface (10) situated at a certain height (Hw), comprising: a cooking appliance structure (1 a) formed by at least one vertical fitting wall (11) supporting the components of the appliance, and an exterior front plate (12) upon which is fixed a gas distributor unit (2) including the taps (8) spaced apart from each other, wherein each tap (8) is provided with a rotating operating shaft (9) for the regulation of the flow of gas (Q), the operating shafts (9) being aligned according to a horizontal plane at the same height (Hv) below said height (Hw) of the cooking surface (10); a control panel (3) bearing operating knobs (4) corresponding to the taps (8), guided on the control panel (3) and spaced apart from each other; transmission means (5, 7, 9) for transmitting rotation from each of the operating knobs (4) to the corresponding operating shaft (9), the control panel (3) being orientable by means of a change in the angular position (Pr, Po) relative to said cooking surface (10), and said control panel (3) comprising a support foot (14) connected to a horizontal pivoting shaft (6); and the transmission means (5, 7, 9) comprising a respective rotating transmission shaft (5), each of them provided with an intermediate joint (15), by means of which the horizontal pivoting shaft (6) is supported for the orientation (A, A+B) of the control panel (3) from an operating position (Po) of the operating knobs (4) exposed on the front side of the appliance to a rest position (Pr) in which the operating knobs (4) are concealed beneath a protective cover (13).
 2. Gas cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal pivoting shaft (6) is positioned at a height corresponding to the height (Hv) of the operating shafts (9) of the taps (8), and the intermediate joint (15) divides the rotating transmission shaft (5), providing a degree of freedom for pivoting (A) according to a plane vertical to each segment (5 b) of the transmission shaft (5) connected to the respective operating knob (4).
 3. Gas cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the control panel (3) is formed by a front part (3 a, 3 b) provided with a respective housing cavity (3 a) for each operating knob (4), which is exposed at an angle in both the operating position (Po) and the rest position (Pr), and the control panel (3) forms with the protective cover (13) a cavity (CS) concealing the control panel (3) closed to the exterior in both the operating position (Po) and the rest position (Pr) of the control panel (3).
 4. Gas cooking appliance according to claim 3, wherein the control panel (3), in order to form the cavity (CS) closed to the exterior, comprises a free panel wing (3 b) over the operating knobs (4), which, in the operating position (Po) of the control panel (3), is closed against a free edge (13 b) of the protective cover (13) and a panel part (14, 16) with a square profile (6) below the operating knobs (4), and which, in the rest position (Pr) of the control panel (3), is closed to the exterior against said free edge (13 b) of the protective cover (13). 